Voting-machine.



J. A. BUTLER. VOTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1911.

"ZllaMf/asaa.

1. MW Wu Hm Q. mm m J 1 m 0 J. A. BUTLER. VOTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1911.

Patented June 4, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BUTLER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK E. NICKELS, OF DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Patented June 4, 1912.

1911. Serial No. 638,469.

' 1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be known that I, JAMES A. BUTLER, now of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention has reference to improvements in voting machines and relates particularly to devices whereby voting mechanism may be actuated for a group of candidates for a board or similar ohice and whereby after the predetermined number of candidates has been voted for, further movement of the voting mechanism is prevented.

One object of this invention is to so con struct a voting machine that a Series of voting mechanisms may be operated in succession by the voter and upon the operation of the last of the predetermined number of such mechanisms, such group or series of mechanisms is automatically locked from movement in one direction.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a group voting controlling device that it may be automatically reset.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

The invention alsoconsists in the resetting mechanism for the lockingdevice.

The invention also consists in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as shall hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1. represents a view in elevation of portions of two vote register actuating devices shown in association with the looking means therefor, and its resetting device. Fig. 2. represents a'sectiona-l view of the same taken on line 22 Fig. 1.

Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

In order to adapt a voting mechanism to the registration of votes for groups of candidates for oflice on boards of control committees, councils, and similar bodies comprising two or more individuals provision must be made for registration of votes for any of the individual candidates and the number of votes cast or registered by each voter (for candidates for such office) should be limited to the number of members of which said board, council or groupis composed.

take a voting machine of any well known form having the member 5 furnished with guides as 6, 6 on which are slidable the members as 7, 7 of the rack bars 8, 8 by or through the movement ofwhich the operators choice of a candidate may be indicated or registered. These rack bars 8,8, for the present purpose may be supposed to represent two candidates for an oflice requiring two members for each of which the operator should cast a vote. J ournaled in bearings in the member 5 are the shafts 9, 9 having spindles adapted to be engaged by suitable with fingers 10 10 adapted to engage the tent upward movement of said racks when the spindles 8, 8 are rotated by the voter.

At the lower portions of the rack bars 8,8,

are adjustably mounted the racks 11,-11 by slots in said racks 11, 11', said racks being adjusted and supported by the screws 13, 13 of said bars 8, 8. Mounted on the member 5 are the brackets 14:, 14' having stud shafts 15, 15 on which are jqurnaled sleeves having the pinions 16, 16, meshing with the racks 11, 11' and the gears 17, 17' which are engaged with the complemental gears 18, 18' of shaft 19 which latter is journaled in bearings of said brackets 14, 14 and has the pinion 20. Extending from the frame 5 is the guide 21 and the bracket 22. On the guide 21 is slidable the'arm 23 of the stopping bar 24 having a Series of teeth, engaged with the teeth of the pinion 20, and a series of sockets 24 spaced apart relative to the distance this bar 24 is moved at each actuation of the rack bar- 8 or 8 through the movement transmitted from said rack bars through pinions 16, 16 gears 17, 17 and 18, 18' and pinion 20. Said sockets 24 are adapted to receive the screw 25 of the stop 26 whereby said stop 26 is secured on the bar 23 in position to be intercepted by the stop plate 22' on the bracket 22, which plate 22 forms part of the guide in said bracket 22 in which the upper end of bar 24: is slidable.

The members 7, 7 of rackbars 8, 8 are adapted to be acted upon respectively by the arms 30 and 31, 31 of the shaft 32 which turning keys and heads 10, 10"furnished teeth of the racks 8, 8 to effect the intermit In carrying this invention into practice, I

means of screws 12, 12' extended through latter is journaled in bearings in arms as 33 ward movement of'the bar 24 will roller disk 35 and the lever 36 which is the lever ordinarily used to rotate the shaft 32 to swing upward the arms 30 and 31, 31 and cam 34, in addition to any other functions of said shaft 32- which latter do not form part of the present invention.

Journaled in the extensions as 33 of arms as 33 is the shaft 37 having the cam 38, hearing against the roller disk 35 of cam 34, and the lever 39 by means of which shaft 37 may be rotated. The shaft 37 is broken away in Fig. 1 of the drawing for the purpose of 'disclosing the mechanism located back of said shaft 37. This shaft may be of any suitable length andfithe lever 39 may and preferably is so positioned that it is necessarily swung by the voter when leaving the voting machine.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that if the head 10 be given a partial rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, one of the fingers 10 'will engage and lift. the rack bar 8 and such movement will indicate the recording of a vote for any, candidate whose name is associated with such rack bar. If any well known register is connected with said rack bar such vote will be registered. In such upward movements of the bar 8 rack 11 will participate and its engagement with the pinion 16 will cause such pinion and its gear 17 to partially rotate whereby motion is transmitted to the gear 18 and thence to shaft 19 and through the pinion 20 to the racks of stopping bar 24 to move this bar upward a certain distance or space indicated preferably by the distance between the sockets 24. If now the head 10 be partially rotated, to effectthe movement of bar 8 and the casting of a vote for the second candidate for said group ofiice, the motion of said rack 8 will be transmitted through pinion 16 gears 17' and 18 shaft 19, and the rack of the stopping bar 24 to move said bar another space whereupon its stop 26 will contact with the stop plate 22' and further upbe revented by such plate 22. iVhere provigion is made in the machine for registering votes for a large number of candidates for a board or council comprising but few members, it is obviousthat, after the votes have been registered forthe number of candidates for I which the stop 26 is set, none of the rack bars as 8, 8 connected with this stopping mechanism can be operated and it IS apparent that said stop 26 may be set to stop the operation of the mechanism after any desired number of votes have been cast, by simply securing the screw 24 in the socket 24 corresponding to such number of votes.

When the voter leaves the machine lever 39 is swung to rotate shaft 37 and swing cam 38 which acts through the disk 35 of cam 34 to cause the partial rotation ofshaft 32 and the downward swinging of the fingers 30 and 31, 31 the finger 30 acting against the member 27 of bar 24 and the finger 31, 31 acting against the members 7, 7 of rack bars'8, 8 to move all of said bars 8, 8' and 24 downward.

Before another voter approaches the machine lever 36 preferably is operated to rotate shaft 32 and swing the fingers 30, 31, 31 upward to the positions shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. A voting machine comprising a series of bars slidably mounted, racks on said bars, actuable means for moving said bars independently, a shaft journaledin bearings and having a series of pinions engaging said racks and a gear, a second shaft journaled in bearings and having a gear driven by the gear of said first shaft, a stopping device, and means carried by said second shaft for moving said stopping device toward the stopping posit-ion.-

A voting machine comprising a series of bars slidably mounted, racks on said bars, actuable means for'moving said bars independently, a shaft journaled in bearings and having a series of pinions engaging said racks and a series of gears, a second shaft journaled in bearings and having a series of gears, in engagement with the gears of the first shaft, and a pinion, a rack bar slidably mounted and in engagement with the pinion of said second shaft, a stop adjustably secured on said rack bar, and means positioned in the path of said stop for limiting the movement thereof and of said rack bar.

JAMES A. BUTLER. Witnesses: I

HARRY I. VALE,

ETHEL E. MoKAY. 

